WHO DO YOU WANT TO ACCESS YOUR HEALTH CARE RECORDS?

HIPPA is the acronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act passed in 2003.  In an effort to protect your privacy, HIPPA restricts the freedom of medical care providers to share medical information about you with anyone, even family members, without your consent.

The provisions of HIPPA give you the right to view information contained in your medical records and to designate other persons with whom your medical information may be shared.

Here are some questions and answers about HIPPA.

Do you need to complete a HIPPA form in order for your spouse or family to see copies of your medical records?

Wht if you have not completed a HIPA form giving someone the legal right to view your medical records?

How can you authorize someone to access your medical records?

 

Q. Why do you need to complete a HIPPA form in order for your health care agent or family members spouse see copies of your medical records?

A. If you want your medical information shared with someone, you must complete a HIPPA Authorization to Release Information form naming and authorizing the people you will allow to see the records maintained by your physician or hospital.  Access to these records will be important for whomever is in charge of making medical decisions for you.

The list should certainly include your health care agent.  Whether you want your medical information shared with your family is up to you.  If you have old and trusted friends to whom you frequently turn for advice, you may want to name them as well.

Once you sign a HIPPA Authorization to Release Information form, you should give a copy to your family physician.

Although you can add a clause to your Health Care Power of Attorney form giving your health care agent and family access to your personal medical records, it is also wise to sign a separate HIPPA form identifying the people whom you want to have access to your records.

Q. What if you have not completed a HIPPA form giving someone the legal right to view your medical records?

A. Without a written authorization from you to share your medical records, medical professionals and medical facilities face stiff penalties for violating HIPPA.

Without advanced authorization by you, your health care agent will not be able to access the information about you to make an informed decision about the best plan of care for you.

Q   How can you authorize someone to access your medical records?

A.